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Magic Lantern Films takes its name from the old Magic Lantern Theater, now called the Isla Vista Theater. In the 1970s, the Magic Lantern was an art house that screened classic, independent and foreign films.

The new Magic Lantern picks up where the old one left off by screening critically acclaimed films as well as cult classics. The diverse selection of films will appeal to a variety of audience tastes.

Films screen every Monday night and Thursday night at 8pm during the school year, and every Friday night at 8pm during the summer! Check our schedule for the date and location. Free for UCSB students/$6 for general admission.

SPRING 2025 SCHEDULE

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

IV Theater
Thursday April 3

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: JAMES MANGOLD
2024 / 141MIN

New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.
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HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES

TD-W 1701
Monday April 7

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: PAT BOONNITIPAT
2024 / 125MIN

M, a university dropout low on money and luck, volunteers to take care of his terminally ill grandmother, in the hope of pocketing an inheritance.
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COMPANION

IV Theater
Thursday April 10

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: DREW HANCOCK
2025 / 97MIN

A billionaire’s death sets off a chain of events for Iris and her friends during a weekend trip to his lakeside estate.
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PASSAGES

IV Theater
Thursday April 10

10:00pm

DIRECTOR: IRA SACHS
2023 / 91MIN

Tomas and Martin are a gay couple living in Paris whose marriage is thrown into crisis when Tomas impulsively begins a passionate affair with young schoolteacher Agathe. But when Martin begins an affair of his own, Tomas must confront life decisions he may be unprepared—or unwilling—to deal with.
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NICKEL BOYS

TD-W 1701
Monday April 14

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: RaMell Ross
2024 / 140MIN

Elwood Curtis' college dreams are shattered when he's sentenced to Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory in the Jim Crow South. Clinging to his optimistic worldview, Elwood strikes up a friendship with Turner, a fellow Black teen who dispenses fundamental tips for survival.
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MUFASA: THE LION KING

IV Theater
Thursday April 17

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: BARRY JENKINS
2024 / 118MIN

Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.
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THE BRUTALIST

TD-W 1701
Monday April 21

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: BRADY CORBET
2024 / 215MIN (including intermission)

Escaping post-war Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost.
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LA HAINE

IV Theater
Thursday April 24

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: MATHIEU KASSOVITZ
1995 / 98MIN

After a chaotic night of rioting in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd, wander around unoccupied waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when confronting the police.
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THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

TD-W 1701
Monday April 28

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: MOHAMMAD RASOULOF
2024 / 168MIN

Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.
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PARTY GIRL

IV Theater
Thursday May 1

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: DAISY VON SCHERLER MAYER
1995 / 94MIN

Although Mary has little income, she still finds ways to spend her nights at clubs. After being arrested for throwing an illegal rave, she asks her aunt Judy for bail money. Judy then finds Mary a job at her library so that Mary can repay her. Initially, Mary finds the job as a clerk boring and stifling, and prefers to get to know a street food vendor whom she likes. However, Mary must refocus her life once she loses her job and apartment.
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HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

Camino Real Cinemas
Monday May 5

7:00pm

DIRECTOR: DEAN DEBLOIS
2025 / 125MIN

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
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MICKEY 17

IV Theater
Thursday May 8

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: BONG JOON HO
2025 / 137MIN

Unlikely hero Mickey Barnes finds himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.
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THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Campbell Hall
Friday May 9

10:00pm

DIRECTOR: JIM SHARMAN
1975 / 100MIN

Sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named ‘Rocky’.
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20TH CENTURY WOMEN

TD-W 1701
Monday May 12

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: MIKE MILLS
2016 / 118MIN

In 1979 Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields’ home and Julie, a savvy and provocative teenage neighbour – to help with Jamie’s upbringing.
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PADDINGTON IN PERU

IV Theater
Thursday May 15

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: DOUGAL WILSON
2024 / 106MIN

Paddington travels to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.
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BEFORE SUNRISE

TD-W 1701
Monday May 19

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: RICHARD LINKLATER
1995 / 101MIN

A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.
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